Dispensing device



y 1932- w. THOEMINGET AL 1,369,120

DISPENSING DEVICE Filed July 30, 1928 Patented Jul 26, 1932 UNITEDSTATES PATENT; OFFICE WALTER L. THOEMING'AND OTTO I. SHANDEB, OF CHICAGOHEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, AS-

SIG-NORS TO Z-RO SPECIALTIES COMPANY, OF CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, ACOR- PORATION OF ILLINOIS "msrnnsme DEVICE Application filed July 30,

This invention relates to a dispensing device. It more particularlyrelates to a device which is adapted to dispense small quantities of areadily flowable material 6 intermittently upon manual operation.

An object of this invention is to provide a dispensing device which 'isadapted "to cooperate with the containers of the material to bedispensed so as to open the containers automatically when suchcontainers are to be emptied into the dispensing device.

A further object of this invention, is to provide a dispensing devicewhich is adapted to hold the container for the materials to be dispensedin such a position that such container will act as a reservoir for thematerial.

Other objects will appear during the course of the followingdescription.

In a preferred form of the dispensing device, an upper chamber isprovided which is adapted to hold the container. This chamber ispreferably designed to hold the-container in upright position in whichposition the material therein will readilyflow into the dispensinchamber of the device. The dispensing c amber of the device ispositioned below the chamber adapted to hold the container and ispreferably of decreasin diameter downward. It may take the orm of eithera downwardly pointing truncated cone or pyramid. Attached to the wall ofone of the chambers is a projection. or finger which is adapted to openthe bottom or top of the container when it is positioned in the upperchamber of the dispensing device. This finger is ordinarily adapted tocooperate witha scored or weakened portion in the botto or top of thecontainer which is usual y of paper. The projection or finger is of suchconstruction that it will make a sufiiciently' large opening in thecontainer to permit the necessary amount of material.

to flow out into the dispensing-chamber'of the device. Positioned belowthe dispensing chamber is a manually operated device which is adapted toremove a small portion of the material in the dispensing chamberand thenconduct it to a discharge spout where it may be utilized.

' of the container,

1928. Serial No. 296,387.

The drawing shows one embodiment of the invention to which the inventionis by no means restricted.

Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional view of one form of thedispensing device; Figures-2, 3 and 4 represent longitudinal sectionalviews upon the lines 2-2, 3-3 and 4-4 of Figure 1; and Figures 5 and 6represent vertical sectional views of a form of the dispensing devicewith a modified manually operated device.

In' Figure 1 the dispensing device is shown with a downwardly pointedtruncated py-, ramidal chamber 10 which is rectangular in horizontalcross section. dispensing chamber. The chamber is provided on itslongest sides with downwardly and inwardly sloping walls 13 and on. itsshorter sides with downwardly and inwardly sloping walls 14:. Connectedwith the top and the widest portion of the dispensing chamber 10 is arectangular prismatic chamber 15 provided with verticalwalls. Thischamber is adapted to hold in upright posi tion' a prismatic containerof substantially rectangular horizontal cross-section. Projecting fromthe outside walls of this container holder chamber are the ears ll whichare provided with openings 12 by means of which the dispensing devicemay be attached toa suitable wall or other means of support. Attached tothe back wall 13 of the dis pensing chamber is the projection or upward-1y extending finger 18 which extends up into the container-holdingchamber. 18 is adapted to penetrate the-bottom or top placed in thecontainer-holding compartmen't, either by tearing the same or by co-"operating with a scored portion therein. In the embodiment. shown theprojection or finger 18 preferably cooperates with a scored portion inthe'top or bottom of the container. It will be noted that the finger 18is long and narrow and is of decreasing dimension upwardly. Due to itssha e and position, it is adapted to assistthesi e walls of the holdingportion and the stops inliolding the material container in position andpreventing its This chamber is the The finger according to which sideis:

as that of a hexagon, square, circle, ellipse,

etc. depending upon the type of container which it is desired toposition in the chamber 15.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1,2, 3, and 4, thebottom ofthe dispensing chamber 10 is providedwlth two openings 17 whichare separated by the upwardly projecting ridge 16 which is adapted todirect the flow of the downwardly flowing material toward either one ofthe openings 17 The exit faces of these openings 17 are flattened sothat the upper surface of the contact strip 31 of the manually operateddispensingelement may cooperate therewith. The manually operateddispensing element is provided with a central portion 32.

Through the upper portion 31 and central portion 32 penetrate theconduits or openngs 33. These openings 33 are adapted to cooperate withthe openings 17 but are positioned a much shorter distance apart. Theopenings 33 are separated by about half the distance as are the openings17. The bottom of the lower portion 32 of the manually operateddispensing element is also flat so that it will cooperate with the upperflattened surface or piece 35 of the spout member. This spout member isprovided with a central opening 45 which extends through the contactpiece 35 and which communicates with the spout 48 from which-thedispensed material may be collected for utilization.

The reci rocating dispensing element is provided with a radial arm 38(see Figure 3) which is attached to a cylindrical piece. 37.

The piece 37 is held between the lateral stops 39 and the rear piece 40.These two pieces 39 and 40 are provided with areuate surfaces 41 and 42which are adapted to contact with pivot .element 37 of the reciprocatingdispensin device. The radial arm 38 is stoppe in its reciprocatingmotion by the surfaces 43 of the lateral pieces 39. To the rear of thespout element 45 is attached the frame element 46 (see Figure 4) towhichare attached the lateral pieces 39 and the rear piece 40. The dispensingelement may reciprocated by the handle 47.

.- It is apparent that when one of the openings 33 is below one ofthe-openings 17, the

other opening 33 is above the opening 45 and is discharging itscontents. These openings 33 are made of suflicient size to contain thedesired amount of flow'able material which is to be dispensedintermittently. As the handle 47 is moved back and forth reciprocatingthe dispensing device, the pockets 33 will alternately be below.anopening 17 and above an opening 45, at the end of each stroke.

The stops 43are so placed and thedistance' between the buckets 33 is soproportioned that when one pocket 33. is under the opening 17 the otherpocket 33will be above the opening ment in this embodiment of theinvention is circular and is provided in its central portion with twoopposite pockets 62. These pockets 62 are adapted to cooperate with theopening 59 and with the open spout alternately. When one pocket 62 isfilled or being filled from the opening 59, the other is empty oremptying into the spout 70. The dispensing device is attached to acentral shaft 63 which isprovided with handle 64. The handle 64 isprovided with a sleeve'65 which is attached to the shaft 63 and which isalso provided with two radially opposite notches 66. The ball 67 isforced into these notches at each half turn of the handle 64 by means ofthe spring 68. This affords a means of causing the dispensing device tooperate intermittently upon manual operation. The shaft 63 is attachedto the rotatable pocket-containing member 61- by the set screw 69.

In the embodiments of the inventionpockets 33 isplaced below an opening17 1n the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4 or when one of the pockets62 is placed beneath the opening 59 in the embodiment shown in Figures 5and 6, such bucket will be filled with the material contained in thedispensing chamber 10. Then the manual- 1 operated element may be movedso that t e pocket 33 or 62, now filled with the material to be disensed, will be moved over to a position w ere it will empty into thedischarge spouts 48 or 70 and allow the material tofall out of thepocket into the band or into another container positioned below suchspout. When this is done, the other pocket 33 or 62 is moved intoposition below the other opening 17, in Figures 1 to 4,

or below the same opening 59 in Figures 5 and 6 permitting a flow of thematerial in the dispensing chamber 10 into such pocket. The first pocketafter it has emptied may be moved back to the opening 59 to be refilledwhile the second pocket 33 which was being filled while the first pocketwas being emptiedis now moved to a position where it will discharge itscontents into the discharge spout 48 or 70. i

If a square container is to be used instead of a rectangular one, thenchamber 15 will be made square in horizontal cross-section. If thecontainer is circular or elliptical in cross-section, the chamber 15 maybe con: structed. so as to be of similar shape in horizontalcross-section. The device of the present invention is adapted todispense material such as soap flakes or powder, salt, sugar, chemicals,etc. It is especially valuable in connection with the dispensing of apowder -or flakey material in which there is a strong tendency towardwaste. The dispenser is preferably used in connection with a vertlcalpaper container, one end of which has a weakened or scored portion whichwill be broken by the inwardly projecting finger 18 when the containeris placed in the top of the dispenser.

What is claimed is:

1. In a dispensing device for flowable solid material, a verticalchamber having side walls arranged to engage and hold the top of aninverted container for flowing material, stop means adapted to limit thedown ward movement of the container within the vertical chamber, anotherchamber of down.- wardly decreasing cross sectional area communicatingwith said first mentioned chamber, means at the bottom of said secondmentloned chamber for permitting the passage of predetermined quantitiesof material out of the chamber, and a projection attached to the wall ofsaid second chamber and extending upwardly into the first chamber andbeing adaptedto penetrate the dispensing side of the container and allowthe material to flow into" the second chamber, said projection beinglong and narrow, of upwardly 'decreasing cross section, and beingpositioned at an angle to the dispensing side of the container so thatit will not block the opening which it causes in the side of thecontainer and so that it will assist in holding the container inposition in the vertical chamber.

'2. In a dispensing'device for flowable solid material, a holder portionwith vertical walls 'forcontaining when in upright position one end of acontainer for the material to be dispensed, stopmeansadapted to hmit thedownward movement of the container within the holder, a downwardlypointing frustopyramidal chamber communicating with said allow thematerial to flow into the pyramidal chamber.

3. In a dispensing device for flowable solid material, a holder having ahorizontal topand provided with vertical walls defining a containerholding chamber, a dispensing chamber communicating with the holdinchamber and provided with inwardly an downwardly sloping walls, stops atthe junction of the holding chamber and the dispens ing chamber touprightly position above the dispensing chamber a container for materialdispensed so dimensioned as to contact closely the walls of the holdingchamber while resting on said stops, and afinger rigidly mounted on theside of the dispensing chamber, proj ecting upwardly and inwardly intothe holding chamber to cause perforation of the dispensing side of thecontainer when the container is positioned within the holder so thatmaterial may readilv flow therefrom into the dispensing chamber.

4. In a dispensing device for flowable solid material, a holder portionwith vertical walls for containing one end of a container for thematerial to be dispensed, a dispensing cham' ber communicating with theholder portion,

said dispensing chamber having a downand projecting upwardly above thestop means to perforate the container when in the holder portion.

5. In a dispensing device for flowable solid placed 'material, a holderportion with upright walls adapted to embrace the dispensing end of acontainer and hold it in inverted position, stop means to limit downwardmovement of the container within the holder, a dispensing chamber belowthe holder portion, a finger rigidly connected to the dispensing chamberand projecting upwardly above the stop means to open' a containerinserted in the holder portion, and a manually operated slide at thebottom of the dispensing chamber adapted to discharge predeterminedquantities of material from the dispensing chamber.

6. In a dispensing device for flowable solid material, a holder portionwith vertical walls for containing one end of a container for thematerial to be dispensed, a'dispensing chamber communicating with theholder portion,

said dispensing chamber having a down-.

wardly decreasing cross sectional area, stop means adapted to limit thedownward movea projection of upwardly decreasing cross section rigidlyattached to the structure and projecting above the stop meanstopenetrate the dispensing side of a container, said finger beingangularly positioned with respect to the structure and to the dispensingside of a container positioned" therein to avoid blocking the openingcaused .by perforation of the container in positioning the same withinthe holder portion. I

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names.

WALTER L. THOEMING.

OTTO M. SHANDER. .7

